


Let me hate you, let me love you

by phantomdieb



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Abuse, Arranged Marriage AU, Blood, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nausea, Some angst, also a lot of fluff tbh, death mention, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-02 16:43:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4067224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomdieb/pseuds/phantomdieb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He clearly remembered the day his parents had told him about their plan for him. It had hit him like a brick and although he always quietly accepted his parents' decisions, no matter if he liked them or not, he didn't want to accept it this time. He couldn't accept it.<br/>Not when his parents wanted him to marry the person he hated the most."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The trust beneath the hatred

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to @GenevadeRivia for making me fall in love with this pairing♥

He clearly remembered the day his parents had told him about their plan for him. It had hit him like a brick and although he always quietly accepted his parents' decisions, no matter if he liked them or not, he didn't want to accept it this time. He couldn't accept it.  
Not when his parents wanted him to marry the person he hated the most.

 

–

  
  
Some time had passed since then and now Semi was meeting him for the first time as his fiancé and he could feel by the way his eye twitched how much he already hated that word, but his parents couldn't care less about his feelings.  
Of course they wouldn't let him look what they called sloppy or anything else that was less than perfect.  
So it took the butlers some hours to make him look like the perfect son-in-law.  
He didn't like it.  
This wasn't like him at all and everyone knew. Everyone including his future husband and his family.

 

They arrived around noon and suddenly everyone who had been still running around like a headless chicken got quiet and disappeared into their chambers immediately. Semi wished that he could just to the same, go and hide in his room, but of course he couldn't. Instead, he stood by his father's right side, his back straightened, his shoulders back and his head high, fixed on the door in front of him.  
The moment the door opened, he didn't know if he wanted to laugh or to cry.  
His destiny was sealed.

 

–

 

He spotted him immediately but that wasn't hard. He tugged at his collar, clearly feeling constricted by it. At least he looked just as uncomfortable as Semi was himself, so he didn't feel as bad anymore. And Semi knew for sure that he was feeling the same about this by their parents arranged marriage. After all the hatred was mutual.  
The joy among their parents to see each other again was much bigger though and it took them about ten minutes to finally calm down and stop complimenting each other on how great they looked and how happy they were to see each other. Of course he also had to greet his future parents-in-law, expressing his joy and gratitude for seeing them again well and unharmed and he surely saw the looks his parents were giving him from the corner of his eyes, knowing that he'd probably get into trouble later for sounding so half-assed but he didn't care. He was tired of it already and just wanted to crawl back into his bed again. He didn't sleep well last night and had to get up early. And the worst thing was that he knew that he had to stay until late evening because they would talk about their engagement and plan the celebration.  
So he was stuck with _him_ for the rest of the day.  
  
Semi threw him a glance and noticed that he was staring at him. When their parents went into the dining room, he raised an eyebrow and looked at him.  
  
“Finally got tired of grinning like an idiot all the time or why are you staring at me like this, Tendou?”  
  
“Oh, someone is salty. Didn't you get to drink your milk this morning or why are you so pissed?”  
  
The frown on Semi's face made Tendou laugh, yet Semi could hear that it sounded rather forced.  
  
That changed when they saw Semi's little sister running towards them and Tendou smiled at her.  
Because while they hated each other, his little sister Midori loved Tendou a lot. And he loved her, too.  
With one swift movement he lifted up the five year old girl and let her smooch his cheek.  
  
“Hello there. How is my little princess doing?”  
  
She laughed and whispered something in his ear. Something that was clearly amusing him.  
  
“Oh really?”  
  
She nodded and wrapped his arms around him, letting him carry her.  
It wasn't like he would ever admit it, but the way Tendou treated his sister made Semi hate him a tiny bit less.  
But only a tiny bit.

  
  
Together they joined their parents in the dining room who didn't even even notice their absence. It was only when Midori started to giggle that their parents turned to them and Semi could see how his parents glared at them and he saw that they were angry. His mother came up to them and smiled at Tendou before she started to scold Midori for letting herself carry by their guest. She almost started to cry when Tendou smiled at their mother and explained that he picked her up himself and that he absolutely didn't mind it. She studied his face before she nodded, now again a small smile on her face, before she turned to her son. She told him that she wanted to talk to him so he followed her, leaving his fiancé and his sister behind.

  
  
“What is it you want to talk about, mo-?”  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, his head jerked to the side and he could feel his cheek burning.  
  
“What are you doing? Didn't I tell you to look after your sister? You should've scolded her when she asked him to pick her up!”  
  
“But he picked her up himse-”  
  
She slapped him again.  
  
“Silence! I didn't allow you to talk. And what was that greeting earlier? You sounded like you were to attend a funeral, and not talk about your engagement and marriage.”  
  
'Maybe that's because I feel like this is exactly what it is', he thought, this time not daring to speak up.  
  
“You will apologize to them and your future husband, did you understand?”  
  
“Yes, mother.”

“After lunch you'll take him to a walk in the garden. And don't dare to let something like that happen again or you will regret it.”

  
  
When they came back, his cheek was still hurting. He went to the elder Tendous right away and apologized to them for being rude and after they accepted his apology, he went back to his future husband. At least he didn't carry his little sister anymore but just held her hand. Of course Tendou must have noticed how red his cheek was and Semi was grateful when he didn't say anything.  
Yet instead of apologizing right away, it took him a while. He had to swallow all his pride before he managed to get out an apology, hoping that Tendou would accept it without making a big deal out of it. That had happened before after all.  
But he was lucky and Tendou accepted it.  
Maybe because he felt like it was partially his fault. After all it was him who picked up Midori.  
Semi threw a glance at his mother who slightly nodded at him.  
He only hoped that the walk in their garden would be just as easy as the apologies.

  
  
The lunch itself was rather quiet. At least among the younger ones. Their parents however kept chatting happily, celebrating that they were soon to be one family, not caring if their sons even wanted this or not. It already had been announced and invitations to the official celebration of their engagement would soon be sent out, too. The damage from saying that the engagement had been broken off would be damaging the reputations of both families too much so there was no turning back now.  
Not anymore.

 

–

 

After lunch Semi swallowed his pride a second time when he asked Tendou to keep him company on a walk in their garden. He was aware of the looks his mother gave him. 'Don't screw this up.' He could practically hear it. Tendou took some time getting up and saying that he would accompany him and Semi knew that he was only dragging it out, doing everything slower than usual, to annoy him. As if he wasn't annoyed by his presence alone enough already. But he told himself to calm down and not let it show. Not when his mother was still watching him.  
  
  
The moment they were out of sight and hearing range, Tendou grinned at him.

“Shut up” Semi growled at him.  
  
“I didn't even say anything.”

“But you were thinking of it and I don't need your bullshit right now.”  
  
“Wow. Shouldn't you watch your language though? What if someone hears you swearing like a sailor?”  
  
“That isn't your concer-”  
  
“What if your mother hears you swearing at me like this?”  
  
Semi glared at Tendou. It bothered him to admit it but this time Tendou was right. If his mother heard him talking like that, he'd definitely regret it.  
His nose turned up, he picked up pace so Tendou had to hurry a little.  
  
“Where are we even going?”  
  
'To a place where no one will hear you scream if I kill you', he thought.  
  
“Just a walk through the garden.”  
  
“It seems like you want to go somewhere though. You know, instead of just slowly walking through the garden, you're hurrying somewhere.”  
  
Semi stopped in his tracks, realizing that Tendou was right. He indeed had headed into the direction of a place that always calmed him down. He didn't want to share that place with anyone, especially not with Tendou, but he didn't want to turn around now. Tendou would just know that he was right and Semi didn't want to give him that satisfaction so he frowned at him.  
  
“Do you even hear yourself talk?” He swallowed the insult he had wanted to add at the end and instead started to walk towards their destination again.

 

–

 

  
Soon they arrived at the little pond they had in the back of their garden. His mother hadn't been too fond of this, but to his luck his father loved fish a lot and wanted to keep some in his garden. He took of his jacket and put it on the bench before he loosened up his tie a little to finally be able to breathe a little and sat down on the grass. He was aware that Tendou was watching him curiously when he additionally took off his shoes and socks before he dipped his feet into the cold water. After some moments passed, Tendou finally moved, taking off his jacket as well and loosening his tie like Semi did before he sat down next to him.  
  
  
They sat there in silence until Semi suddenly started to whistle a song Tendou didn't know but he stopped as abruptly as he had started it. Tendou looked like he considered asking him why he just did that when they heard a rustle coming from the bushes. Before he could open his mouth, a cat sprinted out of said bushes and jumped into Semi's lap.  
  
“Hey there” Semi greeted the cat with a soft voice and rubbed its head. The cat seemed to enjoy the touches, rubbing itself against Semi's hand and purring loudly.  
  
Tendou watched them with a raised eyebrow, not sure what to make out of this.  
After a while the cat curled up in Semi's lap, purring satisfied.  
  
“I didn't know you have a cat.”  
  
“It's a stray cat. I found it in the bushes when it was wounded and had hurt its leg. But my mother hates animals so I have to keep it outside.”  
  
“She knows about it?”  
  
“She once saw me hurrying outside when there was a storm here. I went out to get it and hide it in the barn but I had to explain to my mother why I left the mansion at that kind of weather.” Semi made a face like he bit into a lemon.  
  
“I guess she didn't like it?”  
  
Semi snorted.  
“She wanted to kill it. It took me hours to convince her that our mansion was the only one around here without a mice problem because of that cat.”  
  
As if the cat understood that he was talking about it, it made a tiny noise and stretched a little in his lap.  
  
“Well, she obviously let it live, but only under the condition that it would never enter the mansion ever.”  
  
“I see.”  
  
Semi became quiet again and looked at the cat in his lap. It was sleeping and it looked so cute, that he couldn't help himself but smile a little.  
Tendou watched him from the corner of his eyes and he realized that Semi told him all of that because there was still a certain kind of mutual trust between them after knowing each other for all these years, even if they hated each other for the equal amount of time.  
With a small sigh Tendou leaned back to lie on the grass and for some reason it made Semi think of that he couldn't even remember why Tendou and he had started to hate each other.  
Sure he was arrogant and a little shit, constantly nagging him and annoying him all the time just for fun, grinning innocently when Semi's mother looked at them so he looked like an angel and Semi was always the one getting scolded for something that was actually Tendou's fault. And he was always charming around adults so no one ever believed him when he said that Tendou did something wrong.  
Now that he thought about it he remembered again.  
  
  
Lost in his thoughts he didn't register that Tendou had sat up again and was now looking at him.  
  
“What are you thinking about?”  
  
“How much of an asshole you've always been”, he deadpanned.  
  
He blinked in little in surprise, only slowly realizing that he had said that out loud so his reaction was a bit too slow when Tendou said “Stop being rude” – and pushed him.  
Semi sat already bent forward to let his cat sleep in a comfortable position so he lost his balance and fell forwards into the pond. He had tried to keep himself from falling and grabbed the nearest thing available. Unfortunately it was Tendou and he hadn't expect it so Semi ended up dragging him into the pond with him. Semi quickly came up and looked over to Tendou who just did the same. Semi quickly looked around and spotted his now completely wet cat swimming towards the edge. He grabbed it and climbed out of the pond. Semi allowed himself a few moments to calm down before he turned towards Tendou.  
  
“Are you fucking stupid?”  
  
“I'm sorry I didn't mean for that to happen. Or do you think I enjoy getting wet in my best clothes?” Without throwing him another glance, Semi got up and wrapped the shivering cat into his jacket.  
  
“Lets go back and change.”

They hurried back, both freezing from the cold water soaking through the fabric of their clothes. Especially since while it was already May and the sun was shining, the air was still cold and the wind hitting them made their teeth clatter.  
  
  
When they entered the mansion, Semi prayed that they wouldn't meet anyone.  
But of course his fate didn't mean well with him.  
  
“Where have you been? You were gone for such a lo-”  
  
His mother's voice broke off when she saw the water dripping from their clothes.  
Semi wanted to explain it, wanted to explain what had happened, but when he saw the look on his mother's face, he knew that he was dead.

 


	2. The concern beneath the hatred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Semi visits the Tendous with the task to help them prepare the engagement feast but there are a few difficulties between Tendou and him which need to be sorted out first.

Semi's head leaned against the window of the car. His eyes were half-closed and he himself was half asleep. Yet he just couldn't close his eyes completely. Too vivid were those pictures in front of them again and again and again.. He didn't want to see them. Suddenly reminded of that he sat up straight before he pressed a hand to his mouth when he felt nauseous from the movement. Every little bump and every little pothole they drove over made him feel worse, yet Semi would happily keep going like this if they would just never arrive at their destination.  
He wouldn't be able too look at him after what had happened and he'd much rather have an accident than having to see him again.  
But he knew that his fate loved to play an unfair game with him.

 

–

 

A few hours later, the car stopped and Semi, who fell asleep after all, opened his eyes and blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust to the sunlight. He quickly fixed his hair and clothes before he got out of the car and turned towards his hosts and future parents-in-law, putting on a smile as he did so, even if he didn't feel like smiling at all. Tendou wasn't there for some reason, but he was happy about that. That would make things a little easier for him.  
He greeted them and thanked his parents-in-law for having him, telling them how honoured he felt to be invited by them. They laughed a little and told him that he was always welcome, especially since they're practically one family by now. Semi swallowed and tried not to show how uncomfortable he was with alone the thought.  
It wasn't that he disliked them. The Tendous were generally nice people. But he didn't want to see their son. And he definitely didn't want to get married to him.  
  
  
The Tendous invited him inside. Just a few steps inside the mansion, he already wanted to turn around and run back when he saw him standing there, panting as if he ran a great distance in a short time.  
  
“You're late!” his mother scolded him.  
  
“I apologize. It took me a little longer than expected.”  
  
The blood in Semi's veins froze when he heard his voice, all cheery and happy like nothing had happened.  
How could he be like this when...  
  
“How about you greet your fiancé properly instead of just standing there?”  
  
“Right...”  
  
Semi told himself to calm down and stared on the floor to focus on his breathing while Tendou approached him, yet the breath in his throat hitched a little when Tendou took his hand and placed a kiss on it.  
“I apologize for being late and I'm glad to see you all well and unharmed. I'm happy to be able to welcome you here.”  
  
Liar. This was a lie and he knew it. But he also knew that Tendou had to play this game. Just like himself.  
“Thank you for taking care of me.”  
  
“A maid will show you the room”, Tendou's mother said, clearly satisfied by her son's choice of words. “Dinner will be ready at six.”  
  
Semi bit his lip.  
“I'm sorry for being rude but I think I'll have to skip dinner. The car ride didn't do me well and I'm feeling a little sick. I wouldn't want to waste that amazing food.”  
  
For a moment he was afraid that she'd get angry and Semi knew that if he were with his mother right now she would've slapped him for saying something as rude as this.  
But Lady Tendou smiled at him and gently caressed his cheek. It almost made him flinch since he wasn't used to that kind of affection.  
  
“Then go lie down and rest for now.”  
  
“Thank you so much.”  
Semi took her hand and kissed it to show his gratitude to her before he followed the maid who was to show him his room.  
  
He didn't look at Tendou even once.

 

–

 

After the maid finally left him alone, Semi quickly changed his clothes before he fell on the bed he'd call his for the following weeks. With a sigh he turned to lie on his stomach, ignoring the sick feeling, and burried his face in the soft pillow to just breathe.  
He couldn't do it.  
How would he be able to live here for the next few weeks without facing Tendou when they had to plan their engagement feast? It was just a little time left after all.  
Just thinking about it made him feel more nauseous. His mother would expect him to act like he was happy about it and that it was the best thing that could have happened to him when it was completely the opposite.  
Semi closed his eyes and let out a muffled groan, his face still pressed into the pillow.  
This was going to be a catastrophy.

 

–

 

Semi woke up in the middle of the night. He didn't remember when he fell asleep and he surely didn't remember when he got under the blankets but this didn't matter now. With a yawn he sat up and blinked a few times. It took him a while to find the switch of the lamp on his nightstand but when he finally did, it surprised him to find a note.  
  
  
'Good morning Sleeping Beauty' Semi cringed at Tendou's words, especially since he had added a tiny heart as if he wanted to mock him.  
'I hope you slept well. You were knocked out cold when I came to look for you after dinner so I figured I'd let you sleep. I also guessed that you'd be hungry when you wake up so I got you some food and one of those buns you love so much. And don't worry. This time I didn't spit on it. I promise.  
Your beloved soon-to-be husband.'

  
Semi looked over to the desk and saw that there was really a tray with food waiting for him. But against Tendou's expectation, he wasn't hungry at all. If anything, the seventeen year old boy was feeling even more sick just by thinking about food so he folded the note and put it aside before he lied down again.  
The ticking of the clock somewhere in the room made him drowsy, yet not drowsy enough to actually fall asleep after a nap as long as he had before so he had a lot of time to think. Even if he didn't want to because eventually it'd lead him to think about what had happened after the Tendous had left and he didn't want to be reminded of that. He wanted to forget it. But of course he wouldn't be given that peace. Thinking about it made him tear up a little so he wiped away his tears. It was all Tendou's fault and he wouldn't forgive him. Ever.

  
Semi rubbed his eyes when they started to hurt, but he couldn't fall asleep for the rest of the night.

 

 

–

 

 

He turned his head to the door when he heard a knock and a few moments later a maid entered his room, wishing him a good morning. Semi answered her with a quiet groan. He knew that his mood wasn't her fault but he didn't care about that now. Not when he didn't get to sleep almost the whole night. She told him that the Lady was expecting him for breakfast at eight so that he had about an hour to get ready and Semi just nodded. He waited until she left the room before he went into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. After that the boy combed his hair and finally put on his clothes before he looked at the clock. He checked his looks one last time before he made his way downstairs to meet the Tendous there.

  
When Semi came downstairs he was already sitting there so Semi greeted the older Tendou's first and focussed on the food on the table when he was also wishing Tendou a good morning. He quietly sat down at the table and when they started to eat, Semi reached for those buns he loved so much. He wasn't hungry at all, but he didn't want to be rude to his parents-in-law so he had to eat at least a little. Especially since he also didn't want to worry them and they clearly would if he wouldn't eat. They would probably tell his mother, asking if something was wrong and – he didn't even want to think about what she'd do then. Not after...  
  
“Hey, are you alright? You look a little pale.” It took him a few moments to realize that it had been Tendou who had asked him so he kept his eyes on his plate.  
  
“Don't worry about me. I'm fine.”  
  
“Don't lie! We can all see how-”  
  
“Satori!”  
  
“But it's true, mother! Just look at him! He doesn't look fine at all.”  
  
Semi started to feel sick again so before he messed up completely, he got up.  
“I apologize deeply for being rude but I'll go and lie down again.”  
  
He didn't even wait for an answer and quickly turned on his heels to rush back into his room so the quiet exchange between mother and son went unnoticed.  
  
“Look what you did! You made him leave!”  
  
“I didn't! Didn't you see how pale he was?”  
  
“He's probably just nervous because of the engagement feast. But he might be sick. We should call a doctor just to be sure.”  
  
“I'll go and talk to him first. Maybe he'll tell me something.”

 

 

–

 

 

The sweater he wore at the breakfast had been carelessly tossed on the floor along with his tie when he had entered his room and he himself had curled up under his blanket. Semi didn't hear anyone coming in so he almost jumped in surprised when someone touched his shoulder.  
  
“Calm down, it's just me.”  
  
Tendou. The person he wanted to see least at the moment.  
  
“Go away.”  
  
“Not until you tell me what's wrong.”  
  
“That you exist is wrong and now go.”  
  
“Tell me.”  
  
“No. Just piss off already.”  
  
“I'll stay until you tell me. Did I do anything? Because you didn't look at me since you came here.”  
  
'So he noticed.' Surprised by that, Semi forgot to answer him.  
  
“So I did. What is it?”  
  
“Why would you even want to know? Probably just to make fun of me anyways so just leave already or I'm going to leave.”  
  
“Where would you even go? It's not like you know the area here. Also you look like shit. And while I don't like you, I still care about you. It wouldn't be so much fun to tease someone else so tell me already.”  
  
“Piss off!”  
  
“Stop being so fucking stubborn!” With that, Tendou yanked away the blanket Semi was still hiding under, just to see that he was on the verge or crying.  
  
“Are you happy now?” he screamed at Tendou who didn't know what to say. He didn't care if anyone else could hear him. “This is all your fault! If it wasn't for you... if it wasn't.. for...”  
Semi turned away and to hide his face. He didn't want to give Tendou the satisfaction and let him see him vulnerable like that.  
He felt a light touch on his shoulder.  
  
“What is it? What happened?” The voice was so soft that Semi let out a deep sigh. When was the last time his mother talked to him like that?  
  
He took a deep breath when he turned around to face Tendou, yet he kept his eyes on the bed.  
“My cat.” He said with a dull expression on his face.  
  
“What's with your cat?”  
  
Semi's voice broke. “It's dead.”  
  
Tendou looked at him in surprise but didn't say anything. He didn't want to interrupt him.  
  
“They killed it. Drowned it in the pond you pushed me into. They did it in front of my eyes and I couldn't do anything to help it at all. Mother told me to watch carefully, forced me to watch, saying that it was my fault that this was happening. If I hadn't brought it into the mansion to dry it and if I hadn't been rude to you and pushed you into the pond, it would be still alive.”  
“But how is that my fault?”, Tendou asked him in a gentle voice, knowing how much this must have hurt him. After all he saw how happy he was before.  
“If you had just told her that it was you who had pushed me she wouldn't have... wouldn't have...”  
  
Tendou sat down on the bed and looked at Semi.  
“You know that she wouldn't have listened to me, right?”  
  
Semi stared at him and even if he hated it he knew that he was right. His mother wouldn't have cared if it was Tendou who pushed him. She would've killed his cat anyways. To punish him. For something he didn't do because for her he was always the one at fault.  
He was so tired of this.  
Semi just slumped forwards, his head now leaning against Tendou's shoulder.  
A whispered apology let him finally burst into tears to mourn over his beloved pet's death.  
He cried until he was exhausted and fell asleep in Tendou's arms.

 

 

–

 

 

When Semi woke up he found another note on his nightstand, along with a glass of water.  
'Drink up', it said, 'it'll help you with the headache.'  
Without questioning it further, he drank up the water and waited a little for it to settle in his empty stomach before he got up. When he did, the tray with the food from last night had disappeared, but instead there was another of his favourite buns, a fresh one. When he reached for it this time, he intended to finish it.

  
He felt much better after finally having something in his stomach and he just realized how hungry he was so Semi fixed his hair and clothes before he opened the door – and immediately ran into Tendou.  
  
“Were you waiting for me or why are you standing right in front of my door?”  
  
“You know that I just could've wanted to walk past what happened to be your room when you just ran into me. Fucking rude.”  
  
“Rude? Just like you then. But now that you're already here you have to help me.”  
  
“Oho? You need my help? That's something new.”  
  
“Shut your mouth. I need food. I'm hungry as hell.”  
  
“There was a-”  
  
“I know I ate that bun already but I'm still hungry. I didn't eat properly for the last two days. And I'm your guest so you wouldn't want to let me starve, right?  
  
Tendou rolled with his eyes before he sighed.  
“Fine. Follow me.”  
  
Semi was so focussed on his hunger that he didn't notice the small smile on Tendou's lips.

  
Their trip to the kitchen was silent, none of them was talking – until Semi's stomach suddenly decided to let out a loud growl which made Tendou burst into laughter.  
  
“Shut your mouth.”  
Semi didn't have to look at him to know that he was grinning.  
  
“So did you sleep well, Sleeping Beauty?”  
  
“Stop calling me like that already.”  
  
“But it's true. You look really cute when you're asleep. That's probably because you can't open your mouth and throw insults at me.”  
  
“I guess I'll work on that then.”  
  
“On what?”  
  
“Insulting you in my sleep.”  
  
“Now you're just being rude.”  
  
“Yeah, and you're just being an asshole. It's the usual so stop complaining and give me some food already. I'm starving.”  
  
“Patience, darling.”  
  
“I'm going to hit you.”  
  
  
They kept bickering with each other even as Tendou finally managed to arrange some food for Semi. He stayed with him for the rest of the day, not leaving his side even once and showed him around the house and the garden, even though he had seen all of it several times already. Of course Semi had noticed that, had noticed that Tendou was trying to distract him, so he didn't say anything.  
It was fine.  
  
Just this one time he would allow Tendou to soothe his wounds a little.  
Just this one time he would let him be the reason for his inner peace.  
  
  
And maybe he even felt grateful for it.


	3. The doubt beneath the hatred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tendou can be surprisingly nice and Semi starts to notice that something had changed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE LOOK AT [THIS BEAUTIFUL ART](https://twitter.com/GenevadeRivia/status/608609280015626240) BY [THIS BEAUTIFUL ARTIST](https://twitter.com/GenevadeRivia) FOR THE SECOND CHAPTER BECAUSE I DIDNT STOP CRYING SINCE I SAW THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME  
> THANK YOU SO MUCH ♥

Every maid and every butler was running around being busy with the latest preparations, yet Semi was standing at his room's window and looked down into the garden.  
He was tired since he didn't get much sleep last night due to being nervous but everyone had assured him that it was normal. Outside there were still last minute decorations to be added. From above it looked like the bushes and trees were drowning in it.  
Both families had agreed on the celebration of their engagement being held at the Tendous' mansion while Semi's family would be responsible for hosting the wedding ceremony. That was fine for Semi because like this he'd get a little more rest of his mother.  
At least so he thought until his door flung open.  
  
  
“So you're hiding here. How pathetic.”  
  
Semi didn't answer her and he saw how her eyebrow arched a little.  
“I didn't hear you.”  
  
“Yes, mother.”  
  
“Are you ready at least?”  
  
“Yes, mother.”  
  
“Then why are you still here? You should be downstairs and waiting for the guests for a long time already! They could be here in any second!”  
  
“I was-”  
Semi's eyes were kept to the ground and he was waiting for a blow when he suddenly heard a knock at the door.  
  
“I'm sorry for the inconvenience. He was waiting for me. I promised to get him so we could go downstairs together. It's only appropriate to appear together from today on.”  
  
Semi's mother turned around and he looked up to see Tendou standing in the door, a charming grin on his face and Semi didn't know if he wanted to hit him or thank him in that moment.  
Though the latter was probably the right thing to do, considering that he had almost certainly prevented his mother from hitting him again.  
  
She started to smile at Tendou when he got closer and caressed his cheeks a little.  
“You're such a reliable and fine young man. If only my son was more like you. But I'm glad that you'll join our family soon.”  
  
“I'm glad, too. I can't await it.”  
With still the same charming smile on his face Tendou turned to him and held out a hand which Semi gratefully took. Everything to just get away from here.  
  
“We'll go downstairs now and greet the guests. Thank you for looking after him.”  
He shot Semi's mother another bright smile and quickly left the room with his fiancé.  
  
  
Finally outside Semi released a shuddering breath.  
  
“That woman is awful.” Tendou suddenly said.  
  
Semi looked at him from the corner of his eyes and was a little surprised. He had barely ever seen him that serious. But while he agreed with him wholeheartedly this time, he didn't say anything. After all she was still his mother and he surely didn't want to find out what would happen if anyone was to tell her about him agreeing to something like this.  
So he focussed on something else. Something that bothered him a lot.  
  
“Why are you suddenly so nice to me?”  
  
Tendou kept looking forward when he answered him.  
“You may be an asshole and everything, but you don't deserve this. Furthermore it's no fun to tease or fight with you when you feel awful.”  
  
“So basically you're saying that you're nice to me because you want to be the only one who fights me?”  
  
“Mhhm... more or less.”  
  
“You're unbelievable.”  
Semi started to giggle at this and Tendou grinned at him.  
  
“I sure am.”

“Don't get too full of yourself now. Oh, and for the record: I'd kick your ass in a fight.”  
  
“Oh really? Do you wanna try? You'd lose before you could even _try_ to fight back.”  
  
“I'd show you how wrong you are but I think that our guests wouldn't be too amused about that kind of entertainment.”  
  
“You're right. I'll come back to this though. We have to settle this.”  
  
“Alright.”  
  
They turned towards the door when they heard voices from the outside and footsteps approaching.  
So the first guests have finally arrived.

 

–

 

Several hours later the celebration was going really fine. Everyone congratulated them on their engagement and at first Semi had to force himself to smile during the conversations but he warmed up soon and it became easier for him. They were about to go and get some drinks, their throats dry from talking so much, when Semi felt a tug at his sleeves.  
  
“Brother...”  
  
“Midori! Why are you not with the other children?”  
  
“I don't like them! They say mean things.”  
  
“What do you mean? What mean things?”  
  
Midori looked like she wanted to say something but then changed her mind when her look fell on her mother.  
  
That was when Tendou started to smile and held a hand out.  
“Then come with us. Allow us to accompany you today.”  
  
“Okay!” Midori started to smile and took Tendou's hand with her left, and Semi's with her right hand before she started to drag them around and show them all the pretty dresses she liked. Telling them how she'd love to wear them but they would have to be orange since that was her favourite colour. Tendou laughed a little and said that she would look great in all of them. Midori's eyes started to shine.  
  
“Would I look like a princess?”  
  
Tendou grinned when he kneeled down, took her hand and placed a kiss on it.  
“You always look like a princess.”  
  
Midori blushed a little and started to giggle before she turned to look at her brother who was smiling at her.  
She told him to kneel down as well and when he did, she whispered him, asking if she could switch with him and marry Tendou in his stead. Semi smiled at her and put his hand on her head.  
  
“Let's talk about this in a few years, okay? When you're older. If you still want that, we can arrange that, I think.”  
  
She grinned at him.  
“It's a deal then!”  
  
Midori kissed her brother's cheek before she ran off to get herself some cake.

  
Tendou asked him what she whispered him but right when he wanted to tell him, Tendou's father announced the dance. Semi was dragged away immediately and accepted his fate with a small sigh.  
It was custom that they first had to dance with every of the guests who were asking them, before they would dance with their fiancé's mother or father and finally have their last dance with each other.  
Since there were quite many guests it took them a while to dance with anyone willing. From time to time he threw a glance at Tendou and with each passing second he got more nervous but he couldn't find out why. Sure, he was going to marry him soon. But he still couldn't stand him. That he knew for real.  
And yet he cracked a little smile when he saw his little sister asking Tendou for a dance, all formal like she was taught. The happy grin which Tendou gave her in response made him feel warm inside. It was probably the only thing he liked about him. But Semi didn't get to think further about it because the current dance ended and someone else was already waiting for him. With a charming smile on his face, Semi held out his hand for the person to take it.  
  
  
He barely held back a yawn when it was finally time to dance with his future husband. It got late after dancing with that many people so he was happy about the fact that this was the last dance for today, even though the celebration would still go on after that. Semi blinked a little sleepily when he took Tendou's hand and let him guide him through the dance. He didn't have to concentrate on his steps, too familiar they were after he had to practice them for years in his childhood, so he allowed himself to close his eyes for just a moment.  
  
“How cute! Are you tired already?”  
Tendou's annoying voice let his eyes flicker open again.  
  
“Shut up”, Semi whispered back.  
  
“Just don't fall asleep now. Wouldn't be too nice if everyone was watching. Also I don't really want to have to carry your heavy ass out of here. Especially if you can go and lie down yourself after this.”  
  
A hollow laugh escaped Semi's lips.  
“Do you really think my mother would just let me go and lie down?”  
  
Tendou stared at him but didn't say anything, knowing that he was right. But then suddenly a grin spread across his face.  
“But what if I distract her for that time? I mean, a short nap should be enough for you, right?”  
  
Semi furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion.  
“And why would you do that?”  
  
“Remember? I'm the only one who can give you crap, idiot.”  
  
Semi looked at him, searched for something in his face, something that would give away if this was really his only intention. But Tendou's eyes were dark and didn't give away any secrets he might be hiding and Semi was sure that his lips wouldn't tell him any of them.  
His heart started to beat faster and he quickly lowered his eyes when he caught himself staring. A blush spread across his cheeks and his neck, and his ears reddened. Why was he suddenly so nervous?  
  
But the dance ended soon when the music got quiet and Semi still didn't find an answer.

 

–

 

Right after the dance, Semi sprinted off to the bathroom to splash cold water in his face. He leaned onto the sink and looked into the mirror. He was visibly tired but there was something else. Something he wasn't sure about what it was. All he knew was that it had to do with Tendou and that made him feel uneasy. He got nervous just thinking about having to spent the rest of the night around him. Semi suppressed a frustrated groan and left the bathroom. He'd have to pull through this. It was only a few more hours.  
  
  
Semi ignored the weird feeling in his stomach and watched the crowd from above as he went into the bathroom in the second floor since it was more quiet up there.  
He searched for Tendou, when someone suddenly grabbed his arm and yanked him aside. His heart started to beat faster when he saw his mother standing in front of him.  
  
“M-mother. I-”  
  
The slap on his cheek silenced him and he noticed that he had bitten his tongue when he suddenly had the taste of blood in his mouth.  
  
“Who do you think you are?”  
  
Semi l owered his eyes to the floor in front of her and didn't say anything. He knew that she would just raise her hand against him again if he did.  
  
“You keep bringing shame on our family by behaving like you never learned about manners. You're a disgrace!”  
  
He flinched at the tone of her voice and felt his chest tighten at her words.  
A disgrace.... to the family...  
  
“I'm glad you'll be married off soon so I don't have to see you everyday ever again. But I'm warning you. If you dare to soil our family name even more than you already did, the proper punishment _will_ follow. And then I won't be as merciful as I was the last time. Do you understand me?”  
  
Fear grasped his heart and his breathing became a little forced as he was trying to stay calm.  
  
“Y-yes mother.”  
  
“Pathetic. To stutter when answering your own mother. I wish you'd never been born.”  
With a disgusted look on her face she turned away and just left, leaving behind a shaken Semi who was having trouble to breathe.  
  
  
Bringing shame... soil the family name... a disgrace... punishment....  
  
  
It was strangling him, choking. He couldn't breathe.  
  
Semi barely noticed how his surroundings changed and that he was in a room now. When did he move? He couldn't breathe.  
  
Everything was spinning and suddenly he was lying on the floor. _He couldn't breathe._  
  
That was it. He was going to die now and he would die alone. If he could only see-  
Slowly slipping away, Semi heard someone calling his name but he didn't get to know who it was before his eyes fell shut and everything went black.

 

–

  
  
Whispering voices. Semi didn't understand what they were saying because they were too quiet. He slowly came back to senses, blinking sleepily when he opened his eyes. Someone to his left noticed that he woke up first because Semi heard them say his name. When he turned his head, he saw Tendou sitting there.  
  
“Hey, can you hear me?”  
  
Semi nodded.  
  
“Good. Our family's doctor will examine you if that's okay. Can you sit up?”  
  
Another nod. He shifted a little and Tendou helped him.  
  
“What happened?” Semi asked quietly.  
  
Tendou looked as if he was a little unsure on what to say and Semi asked himself when he had learned to read him like this.  
  
“I went to search for you when you didn't come back from the bathroom after a while and I...” He hestitated a little.  
“I found you in your room, on the floor. You had passed out and you.. you were gasping for air. For a moment I thought you were going to die.”  
  
Semi's heart beat a little faster when he realized something.  
“You were worried?”  
  
“Of course I was worried, you idiot. Who wouldn't be if they'd find someone who looked like they were about to die?”  
  
He had a point there. But it wasn't enough to calm down his racing heart.

 

The doctor finished his examination and asked him a few questions which he answered truthfully. But Semi felt how with each passing second his eyelids became heavier and he let out a yawn. The doctor was still talking but with Tendou this time, saying that Semi had to stay in bed and rest a lot. They kept talking for a while, but Semi was too tired to follow the conversation. He was almost asleep when suddenly the door fell shut after the doctor had left the room. Semi jerked awake in surprise and blinked confused. It surely didn't help his confusion when Tendou all of the sudden leaned over him, looking deep into his eyes and Semi could feel how his heart skipped a beat.  
  
“I'll go back downstairs. I can't let the guests wait any longer. You stay here and rest, okay? I'll send a butler. If you need anything, just tell them and they'll get it for you.”  
  
There was a moment of silence when Semi was too captured by how beautiful Tendou's eyes were.  
  
“Okay.”  
  
“Now close your pretty eyes then and get some sleep.”  
  
Semi listened to him and did as he said. Almost immediately he drifted into sleep, the tiredness getting a hold of him. Yet his heart started to race again when he felt a pair of lips pecking his forehead. It was so light that he must have imagined it. He just must have because there was no way Tendou would...  
He had to check or else he wouldn't be able to sleep.  
Semi forced himself to open his eyes, but when he looked around, he was alone.


	4. The love beneath the hatred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As he gets closer to him, Semi has to admit that he feels more than just hatred for Tendou...

'I feel much better.'  
  
That was Semi's first thought when he woke up in the middle of the night. The butler wasn't there so either Tendou had forgotten about it or he had told him to leave later. Thinking of Tendou caused Semi's heart to beat a little faster again and he remembered how close he was when he leaned over him earlier. Almost close enough to-  
  
Semi quickly got up and slapped his cheeks, telling himself that they were only burning red because of that. There was no way he was feeling _that way_ about Tendou. No. Not him. He hated him. Or at least couldn't stand him. Or maybe he just didn't like him. But maybe he did? He wasn't that bad, after all...  
  
'No no no. Stop it, you idiot!' he told himself. And yet he couldn't.  
Tendou was different. Sure they both claimed to hate each other, but that was mostly due to things that had happened in their childhood. Back then Tendou had always blamed everything that ever went wrong on Semi and everyone had believed him. Hence it was always Semi who got punished even if he didn't do anything. But that had changed. And in a way it looked like Tendou was now looking out for him. Taking care of him.  
  
'Don't interpret too much into his actions. He told you why he did that.'  
It made sense as well because Semi knew that Tendou had never really liked Semi's mother. Probably even less than he liked Semi himself. But that was only due to Tendou being able to fight with him.  
  
Semi's heart grew heavy thinking about it.  
'Great. Another problem I didn't need.'  
He lied back down and pulled the blanket up to his nose. He decided that the best way to run away from his problems was to sleep so Semi closed his eyes and fifteen minutes later he was already asleep.

 

–

 

He woke up when he heard a knock on the door. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and looked to the door.  
  
“Yes?”  
  
The door opened and a maid came in to open the curtains and let the light in. It took him a moment to realize that something was different today. Normally if it was in the morning, the maid would just come in and wake him up. She wouldn't knock or wait for his permission. Semi was about to ask her about it when he heard another knock at the door. This time it was Tendou standing there, a big smile on his face.  
  
“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Seems like you're up already. I guess I don't have to kiss you awake then.”

It took him off guard for the first moment so he gaped at Tendou, unsure what to do. Semi quickly turned away when he noticed that he was staring.  
  
“That would have killed me immediately anyway.”  
  
He was only glad that Tendou couldn't hear his heartbeat. That little traitor was beating way too fast at the thought of Tendou kissing him.

His fiancé sat down on the chair by his bed.  
  
“Do you feel better?”  
  
He could hear from his tone of voice that he was still worried and again he asked himself when he had started to read Tendou that well.  
  
“Mhm, a little. My legs are all wobbly and I didn't even get up yet.”  
  
“Then stay in bed and rest some more. You have to anyway. Doctor's orders.”  
  
“Guess I'll have to.”  
  
“Don't worry, I'll keep you company so you won't get bored.”  
  
“You know I think I actually feel a lot better already.”  
  
Tendou started to laugh.  
“No chance! You'll stay in bed and I'll stay with you. Even if it's just to annoy you.”  
  
“Great. What bright prospects.”  
  
  
Hours later Tendou was telling Semi about that one time his uncle got so drunk that he had talked to a lamp for hours, thinking that it was his wife. He only stopped because he fell asleep.  
  
“I'm pretty sure that otherwise he would've talked to his beloved lamp wife for another three hours.”  
  
“How can you even get so drunk that you confuse a _lamp_ for your wife?”

“I'm not sure if I want to find out.”  
  
“Neither do I.”  
  
“Well, it's not like I'd confuse a lamp for my wife anyway since I won't have a wife, right?”  
  
He winked at Semi who suddenly felt like hiding under his blankets and he was trying his best to ignore the fluttering feeling in his stomach.  
“Don't remind me.”

“Aww, come on. I'm not that bad.”  
  
“No, you're actually worse.”  
  
“Admit it already. Admit that you actually can't resist me.”  
Tendou wiggled with his eyebrows and grinned at Semi and just ducked away when Semi threw a pillow at him.  
  
“Who would like someone like you?” he said as he turned away from him. His face was burning red and Tendou probably didn't even get how close he was to the truth. Semi still doubted yet if it was really _love_ , but he surely liked him a lot more than he had thought he ever would.  
  
“I am very lovable, okay? I'm cute, good looking, I know how to entertain someone, I'm charming, talented and-”  
Tendou got interrupted when someone knocked at the door.

'-incredibly annoying' Semi finished the sentence for him, quietly muttering under his breath but according to the look Tendou gave him he had heard him anyway.  
  
  
They both turned to the person entering the room and Semi immediately felt the blood freezing in his veins.  
  
“M-mother.”  
He hadn't seen her since she had left him the day earlier.  
  
“Are you still in your bed? It's past noon already. Get up!”  
  
“I-I can't-”  
  
“Stop being so lazy! And that in front of your fiancé! Aren't you ashamed?”  
  
“But mother, I-”  
He lowered his eyes and stared at one spot of his blanket, already knowing what was coming.  
  
“I'm gonna teach you manners! Get up!”

Tendou grabbed her by her wrist when she raised her hand against her son.  
  
"Please don't do this. He is sick and has to rest. Further I'd like you to leave him to me from now on. He is my fiancé and I don't want him to be harmed by anyone. You can understand that, right?"  
  
It was the same charming smile as always, but this time there was something else.  
A silent warning.  
Semi's mother seemed to pick it up, too, because she took a step back and pursed her lips in to a thin line. She looked back and forth between her son and son-in-law.  
  
"Fine, he can stay and... rest, if he has to."  
She shot her son another glance before she left and he knew that he was as good as dead the second Tendou left his side. And it would happen eventually.  
  
"You look pale. Are you alright?"  
  
Semi clenched his fists, his body shaking from fear.  
"She's going to kill me."  
  
"Semi, I-"  
  
"She'll punish me the moment you leave my side."  
  
"Hey, I-"  
  
"She's going to-"  
  
"Semi, stop!"  
  
Tendou's sharp tone made him stop and look at him.  
  
"Don't worry. This won't happen. I told you I'd stay with you, didn't I? She won't harm you any longer. I won't let her."  
  
"But you can't be with me all the time! Just think about when youre sleeping. Or bathing. Or-"  
  
"Then let's sleep together."  
  
Semi stared at Tendou when he interrupted him.  
  
"I mean..." The tips of Tendou's ears got red when he awkwardly rubbed his neck." It'll be expected of us soon anyway. So if it helps you we could.. you know."  
  
"But.. you hate me. So why?"  
  
"Me? Hate you? Do you really-"  
  
They got interrupted when someone knocked at the door again.  
  
"The Lady calls for you, young Master. She wants you to come downstairs immediately."  
  
"I'm on my way." Tendou got up." You stay in bed, okay? Get some sleep."  
  
He left and Semi couldn't help but stare at the spot he sat on just a few moments ago. For some reason he couldn't get the thought out of his head that it were his own careless words that had caused that strange feeling inside his stomach.  
  
  
That evening Semi waited for Tendou to come to his room. After all it seemed like he really wanted to share a bed with him like he had suggested. But Tendou didn't come.  
So with an uneasy feeling in his gut he closed his eyes and let the sound of raindrops hitting the window lull him to sleep.

 

–

  
  
With a scream, Semi woke up in the middle of the night. It was a few days later and his parents were still at the Tendou's mansion.  
Trembling from the nightmare he almost didn't notice someone grabbing his shoulders.  
  
"-ey! Hey! Semi! Look at me! What happened?"  
Like out of nowhere, Tendou had suddenly appeared in his room right in front of him.  
  
"I-I'm-" He swallowed hard, his mouth was dry. "N-nightmare."  
  
Without hesitating Tendou pulled him into his arms and held him tight.  
"Shh it's okay. It's over now. It was just a dream. Just breathe, alright?"  
  
Semi nodded and grabbed Tendou's shirt to hold onto something.  
He buried his face in Tendou's chest when a desperate sob escaped his lips.  
  
"Please stay..."  
  
"It's alright. I'm here with you and I won't go anywhere. I promise."  
  
Tendou gently started to massage Semi's scalp. It took a while but after some time Semi calmed down. Yet Tendou didn't stop. He kept going on until his fiancé was lying almost completely relaxed in his arms.  
  
“Feel better?”  
  
“Mhm? Oh yeah. Thank you.”  
  
“Not for this.”  
  
Neither of them moved.  
  
“..Tendou?”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“How did you even get here this fast? I mean, you were here immediately.”  
  
Tendou hesitated a second before he answered him.  
“Please don't freak out now but I was already here.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“I slept sitting on the floor by your feet.”  
  
“What?”  
Semi wanted to sit up straight and look at him, but Tendou held him tightly.  
  
“You were worried about your mother coming for you at night, right? And you remember how I suggested to sleep together with you I guess. But apparently you think I hate you so I thought you were... uncomfortable with the thought of sharing a bed.”  
  
“Wait. How long have you been sleeping here then? Why didn't you tell me? And- _stop_ _, wait a second_ _!_ Are you saying that you don't hate me?”  
  
Tendou sighed.  
“You really have no clue at all, huh? Of course I don't. And I've been sleeping here since I suggested it to you. I came here after you fell asleep because I thought you didn't want me to. But I was worried so I-”  
  
But Semi didn't even listen to him anymore.  
Tendou didn't hate him. He was worried about him. He cared about him.  
“But if you don't hate me.. then why do you keep saying stuff of which you know that it will make me angry?”  
  
“You're really an idiot. I just like to tease you because your reaction is priceless. I admit though that I couldn't stand you when we were children but when we grew up I realized you weren't that bad.”  
  
“So you.. don't hate me anymore?”  
  
“I don't hate you anymore.”  
  
“Oh. Okay.”  
  
  
They sat on Semi's bed and neither of them dared to move. Tendou kept holding him when Semi suddenly yawned. Tendou slowly let go of him.  
  
“You should lie down again and get some more sleep.”  
  
“What about you?”

“I'll stay, like I promised.”  
  
“Then lie down with me. I won't let you sleep on the floor anymore.”  
  
“How generous of you, Sir.”

“On the other hand... maybe I should let you sleep where you belong...”  
  
“I'm quiet already.”  
  
“Good.”  
  
Semi tried to ignore his pounding heart when Tendou slipped under the blankets with him and put an arm around his waist.  
Tendou yawned and snuggled a little closer to Semi.  
  
“What are you-”  
  
“You're warm.”  
  
“Of course I'm warm! You held me the entire time so you should have noticed.”  
  
No answer.  
  
“Tendou?”  
  
But Tendou was already asleep.  
  
  
“You're like a baby.”  
  
“What?”  
  
Tendou and Semi were sitting at the table and ate their breakfast. Their parents had left earlier in the morning to go to the city before Semi and his family would leave in the afternoon so it was only the two of them.  
  
“You fell asleep yesterday after a few seconds. Just like a baby.”

“Rude! I was just tired from you snoring through the entire night.”  
  
“I snore?”  
  
“Of course you do! So loud that you'd probably hear it three rooms away.”  
  
He was messing with him.  
  
“Shut your mouth.”  
  
“Make me.”  
Tendou grinned at him.  
Judging his facial expression he didn't expect Semi to get up and lean over the table to grab his chin.  
  
“Oh, trust me I will.”  
  
Tendou gaped at Semi – and almost choked when the latter stuffed a bun into his mouth.  
  
“That'll keep you quiet.”  
  
“You're mean!” Tendou coughed out.  
  
“So are you.”  
  
“I'm not!”  
  
“You are!”

  
Tendou suddenly jumped up and ran to get Semi. But he had sensed what Tendou planned to do and had jumped up as well, running away from him now.  
  
“You'll never get me!”  
  
“Oh really?”  
  
Tendou chased Semi like they were children playing together. Semi laughed cheerfully everytime his fiancé failed to catch him.  
It wasn't until Semi accidentally ran into a room in which every other door leading out was locked, that Tendou trapped him.  
  
He bit his lip and looked at Semi like a tiger at his prey.  
“So finally...”  
  
Tendou leaped forward and wrestled Semi down, who swore that he wouldn't give up and go down without a fight. But even he knew when he lost and this time he gave up when he couldn't move anymore. But the words got stuck in his throat when he opened his eyes and was directly looking into Tendou's. He registered his fiancé's messy hair and his red face, knowing that he most likely didn't look any better after this playful fight. Tendou moved a little and Semi got suddenly aware of the position they were in, with Tendou straddling his lap and pinning his hands over his head.  
Semi subconsciously licked his lips, not able to tear away his eyes from Tendou, who now leaned in. Just a little closer and Tendou would-  
His eyes half-lidded, Semi waited for Tendou to kiss him.  
But nothing happened.  
  
“Wow, I didn't know you had such an interesting eyecolour.”  
  
“H-huh? What?”  
  
“Your eyes are really pretty.”  
  
Tendou let go of Semi's hands.  
  
“Also I hope you admit that you lost.”  
  
“Eh?”   
  
“Don't you remember? Before the firsts guests arrived I told you we'd settle this. And now I won.”

  
Semi bit his lip so that he wouldn't cry out in frustration. Mostly he was frustrated about himself. He shouldn't expect a kiss, especially not from Tendou. Slowly he counted to ten to calm down himself and when he focussed on Tendou again, he managed a crooked smile.  
  
“But did you really?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
Semi suddenly pushed Tendou, who fell off because he didn't expect his fiancé to resist anymore and he used that opportunity to quickly sit down on his fiancé's legs. He made sure that Tendou wouldn't be able to push him away like he just did with him, before he grinned at him from above.  
  
“That's how you do it.”  
  
“Heh? I see.”  
  
“So it's your part to admit defeat.”  
  
“I will, but only if you lie down with me.”  
  
“You want me to what?”  
  
“Oh, come on, I won't bite you. I want to take a nap and you're warm and you smell nice so stay with me, okay?”  
Tendou let out a yawn and put his hands on Semi's hips.  
  
“I do wha-.. okay.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “F-fine.”  
  
“Are you nervous? How cute!”  
  
“I can let you sleep on the floor again.”  
  
“You wouldn't be that heartless, right? To let your beloved fiancé sleep on the floor is unacceptable for a gentleman. And hey, you didn't deny the nervous part!”  
  
“Just shut up already or you can nap alone.”  
  
“Aye, sir!”

Semi woke up around noon. Tendou was still lying besides him. An arm wrapped around Semi's waist, he was sleeping safe and sound and Semi used that opportunity to study his face from this close. It was unusual to see him this calm. Normally he was smiling or grinning, sometimes showing a frown when something wasn't going like he wanted it to. But he had rarely seen him that peaceful. Carefully to not wake him up, Semi traced Tendou's cheekbones and his jawline with his fingertips. And before he could change his mind, he quickly leaned in closer and kissed Tendou's cheek. Semi cuddled up to him, his face beet red, and listened to the sound of his fiancé's steady heartbeat, hoping that it would calm down his own one. After a while, he fell asleep again.  
  
  
The next time he woke up was in the afternoon and this time he was alone. So Tendou had let him sleep. Semi stretched after he got out of bed and quickly fixed his hair before he left the room. He found Tendou with a book in his hands by the fireplace.  
  
“You could have woken me up, you know.”  
  
“Actually no. That was absolutely impossible.”  
  
“What? Why that?”   
  
“You looked too cute, drooling all over the pillow.”   
  
“Stop that already.”   
  
“It's the truth, though. You were really drooling.”   
  
“That's not what I mean.”   
  
“Hm? What then?”   
  
“This whole... calling me.. cute. It's weird, okay?!” 

  
Tendou looked away when he scratched his cheek. The same cheek Semi had kissed earlier.  
“Okay. Though I really mean it.”  
  
Semi sighed but before he could say anything else, Tendou looked at him again.  
  
“Before I forget it: your family left already.”  
  
“They left? But.. what about me?”  
  
“I told them you'd stay here with us. To get used to living with me. And my parents wanted to take you to the house we're going to live at after the marriage anyway. It's closer to our mansion, so it's easier if you just stay here instead of going home and than having to come back. Also I thought that you wouldn't want to go home because of your mother.”  
  
Semi bit his lip and nodded.  
“You're right. It's better this way. Thank you.”  
  
“See?” Tendou grinned at him. “And now stop standing there like you don't belong here and sit down instead. Say, do you want some tea?”

  
  
Two weeks later the Tendou's and Semi left the mansion to pay a visit to the house that would soon belong to the young couple.  
  
“You see, Eita darling,” Lady Tendou kept talking to him cheerfully whilst opening a door to yet another room, “this will be your bedroom. Before you move in we'll get you new furniture everywhere and butlers and maids will clean the entire house properly.”  
  
“That sounds amazing.” Semi smiled back at her, not sure how to react since he wasn't used to being called affectionate names by anyone – excluding Tendou who was still calling him 'Sleeping Beauty', but he only did that to annoy him so it didn't count.

Their house was big. Not as big as the mansions they both lived in until now, but more than enough for the two of them and their butlers and maids.  
Tendou nudged Semi with his elbow.  
  
“Hey!” he whispered to him. “Do you think we can slide down the stairs on a mattress the first night?”  
  
Semi tried to hold back a smile, but failed miserably.  
“I'm in for that.”

  
  
After his mother was finally finished leading them around, Tendou dragged Semi outside.  
  
“I'll show you the garden. It's not as big as the ones we're used to, but fine enough.”  
Tendou showed Semi around, while his parents stayed inside.  
The garden was a wild mess and a gardener would surely have to put some time into it to tidy it up properly. Cut the bushes and trees, mow the grass, plant flowers. But Semi liked it and if he had a choice he'd let it be like that. It was way better to let the plants grow like they wanted to, instead of neatly cutting everything into shape. It was boring. But he knew that their and their families statuses would never allow something like that.  
  
'Everything has to be neat and tidy,' his father always said.  
  
With a small sigh Semi let himself fall into the grass and he faintly noticed that Tendou sat down next to him. Semi stretched a little before he closed his eyes. With the smell of grass in his nose and the wind tugging at his hair, he felt at peace. And it was because of this peaceful mood that he didn't flinch back at first when he felt another pair of lips on his own. Only after a few moments had passed his eyes fluttered open and he stared at Tendou.  
Tendou, who was kissing him like it was the most normal thing for him to do.  
After he realized what was going on, Semi pushed him away in shock and slapped him in reflex.  
  
“W-what the fuck was that? Why did you kiss me?”  
  
His heart was beating so fast that he was afraid it would jump out of his chest in any second. But when Tendou turned his head back to him, he felt like someone gripped it and squeezed it tightly in an attempt to make it stop completely.  
  
Tendou looked so sad and heartbroken over his reaction that Semi couldn't move a single finger to stop him when he got up without saying another word and quickly went back into the house.


	5. Let me hate you, let me love you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Semi is the happiest person on earth and it's Tendou's fault.

The entire way back neither of them spoke. Tendou was looking out of the window, probably so that he wouldn't have to look at Semi and Semi couldn't even take it amiss. If this had happened the other way round, he wouldn't have wanted to face him as well. So he just kept quiet, even if it hurt him. It was his own fault after all.  
  
If someone else had noticed the tension between them, they didn't comment on it. Semi doubted it, though, since Tendou's mother was talking non-stop and he was sure that if she had noticed she would have asked them about it, trying to get them to talk to each other and make up. But she didn't and so all Semi could do was looking out of the window and trying to ignore the knot in his stomach.

 

–

  
  
Back at the mansion Tendou excused himself and left, hurrying into his room. Semi watched him until he couldn't see him anymore before he followed hiss example and went into his room as well. He didn't even change his clothes and just threw himself on the bed, curling up to make himself as small as possible. When he closed his eyes, he could see the look on Tendou's face again.  
Semi couldn't explain why he had reacted like he did.  
He had waited for it. He had wanted Tendou to kiss him. And yet he had pushed him away when he did. Semi felt incredibly guilty and he knew that he would have to make up to him in some way. But it was hard. Whenever he thought of the look on Tendou's face, he couldn't help himself but feeling like he had commited a crime, one of the worst even. He'd have to apologize to him, even if this meant to explain everything to him by admitting his feelings for him. It wasn't an excuse for his behaviour but an explanation and this one he owed him more than once after everything Tendou had done for him.  
  
  
But this should turn out to be much more difficult than he had expected because Tendou kept avoiding him. Whether it was in the morning, at lunch or after dinner. It was frustrating, but Semi could understand him. If he was in Tendou's place, he would try to avoid him as well.  
He had also stopped coming in the evening to slip into Semi's bed. He missed the feeling of Tendou wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him closer, curling around him, almost like he tried to protect him from everything bad that was happening in the world. He missed the sound of Tendou's steady breathing after he fell asleep and the sound of his heartbeat. He got used to it after listening to it night after night. He missed how Tendou woke him up in the morning, having a disgustingly good mood even in early hours.  
But mostly he just missed Tendou's presence around him. He missed him, but there was nothing he could do about it since Tendou didn't want to talk to him after what had happened in the garden. He knew it was his fault and that he'd have to deal with the consequences of his actions.  
  
  
After three weeks, he couldn't keep on going like this so he knocked on Tendou's door late in the night, when everyone else was asleep for hours already.  
He didn't expected him to be awake but he wanted to try it anyways. But it was late after all so Semi sighed and turned to go after a few minutes of silence when he suddenly heard his voice from the inside.  
  
“Come in.”  
  
Semi opened the door and looked at a surprised Tendou.  
  
“To be honest I didn't expect it to be you. Why aren't you sleeping?”  
  
Tendou turned away from him and Semi felt like he just ripped out his heart.  
  
_'He doesn't even want to look at me.'_  
  
“I can't fall asleep. Can I..?”  
  
“Sit down.”  
  
Semi closed the door behind him and sat down on a chair in Tendou's room and he realized that while he got accustomed to the rest of the Tendou's mansion with the time, he barely had ever been to Tendou's room. The furniture looked all unfamiliar.  
  
“Tendou, I-” he looked up and stared at the back of Tendou's head, but Tendou didn't turn to him.  
He ignored the pain in his chest and took a deep breath.  
“I wanted to talk to you. About.. what had happend in the garden.”  
  
“I'm sorry,” Tendou immediately said.  
  
“Eh?”  
  
“I know I fucked up. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have.. kissed you.”  
  
“But you- Tendou what are you talking about? I _slapped_ you, so why are _you_ apologizing to _me_?”  
  
Tendou turned to him, looking a little ashamed.  
“Didn't you do that because you were angry at me?”  
  
“Angry? At you? No. I was just surprised because I didn't expect you to.. you know.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“Is that why you avoided me? Because you thought I was angry at you?”  
  
“..I thought you'd tell me that you don't ever want me to get that close to you and that you needed some space.”  
  
Semi sighed.  
“You're an idiot.”  
  
“I may be but you're an even bigger one.”  
  
“What? Why?”  
  
“Who else would slap someone because they were surprised by a kiss.”  
  
The tips of Semi's ears turned red.  
“I guess you got a point there.”  
  
“Of course I do.”  
  
Semi nervously bit his lip.  
“So.. we go back to normal now, or what?”  
  
Tendou looked away and rubbed the back of his head, but Semi didn't miss the moment Tendou started to smile.  
“If you want to.”  
  
“I do.”  
  
It sounded like a promise.

 

–

 

“You know,” Semi started a little absentmindedly while he was playing with the grass he was sitting on, “I wonder how our parents got the idea of arranging a marriage between us.”  
  
Tendou didn't say anything, but Semi knew he was listening because he moved his head a little which was resting on Semi's right shoulder.  
  
“I mean, it wasn't really an obvious choice. Sure, we're the heirs of two big families, but, you know...” He paused a little.  
“We could've been married into other families and expanded our connections. Our families have been on good terms for decades now so.. why?”  
  
“Maybe our parents were concerned that we would break off the friendship between our families?”  
  
“Mhm..I don't know.”  
  
“Is it really that important?” Tendou let out a sleepy yawn.  
  
“It's not but I'm curious.”  
  
“They probably had their reasons but it's not going to change anything anyway so why make assumptions about something you can't know for sure, not matter how long you think about it?”  
  
“I guess.”  
  
“Yeah. And if you keep frowning like that your pretty forehead will get wrinkles so you should stop.”  
  
Semi shrugged Tendou off his shoulder and Tendou, who was too sleepy to move, just let himself fall onto him so his head was lying in his fiancé's lap.  
  
“Well, maybe I want to have wrinkles so don't tell me what to do.”  
Semi was grinning while saying this until he heard Tendou sleepily muttering the next words:  
  
“You'd look pretty regardless so I don't mind.”  
  
For a moment all Semi could do was look at Tendou, his mouth slightly open and his cheeks burning red.  
“H-Hey! What are you saying?”  
  
Semi let out a sigh when he didn't get an answer and he saw that Tendou had fallen asleep in his lap.  
  
“First you make me blush,” he muttered, “and then you just fall asleep. Great.”  
  
But he didn't stop combing Tendou's hair with his fingers with a smile on his face until it got too chilly to keep letting Tendou sleeping outside.

 

–

 

A few weeks before their marriage Tendou took Semi out to a picknick in the afternoon. It was just the two of them and they were sitting on a blanket near the river, eating some sandwiches the family's chef had made for them. It was quite peaceful and Semi was thinking if he ever had something like this before, when he was still living at home. He turned to Tendou and was about to tell him about it when he noticed something.  
  
“Tendou?”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“Your nose. It's bleeding.”  
  
Tendou wiped his nose with his hand and it left a red streak on the back of his palm.  
  
“Oh shit. Why now out of all times?”  
  
“Huh? Is a nosebleed that bad?”  
  
“It will be soon enough.”  
  
Semi was confused about his words but he didn't say anything. He also quietly listened to his fiancé when he asked him to pack their things together to go home.  
The way back was silent, neither of them was talking but Semi kept watching Tendou, who, a handkerchief pressed to his nose, looked like he was struggling with something.  
  
“Hey, are you okay?” he finally broke the silence between them, but Tendou didn't answer him.  
  
“Hey, Tendou?”  
  
He didn't turn to him but let out a quiet hiss before he answered him through gritted teeth:  
“Please, just.. keep going for now. I'll explain it later.”  
  
  
They were almost back at the mansion when Tendou suddenly started to wobble before his legs gave in. Shocked Semi watched him falling on his knees and he quickly kneeled down besides him.  
  
“Hey, Tendou, what's wrong?”  
  
“I'm just.. a little dizzy. That's all.”  
  
“Dizzy? Is that because of-”  
  
“Yes. Because of that damn nosebleed.”  
  
“Can you get up?”  
  
“Give me a minute.”  
  
Tendou took a few deep breaths before he got up and slowly kept walking towards the mansion.  
  
“You can lean on me if you want.”  
  
Tendou stopped and seemed to considering it for a moment – before he just moved on.  
“I can manage the rest on my own. But thank you.”

  
  
He almost collapsed for a second time when they reached the door. This time Semi expected it already and he caught him.  
  
“Come on, I'll help you.”  
  
“But-”  
  
“No 'but's'!”  
  
Semi helped him to get up and let Tendou lean onto him.  
They went inside and Semi told a butler who came to welcome them to take the basket with the food which was still standing outside. He himself kept going, carrying Tendou upstairs to his room and put him on his bed. Semi pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and carefully held it to Tendou's nose, since his own was completely soaked with blood already.  
  
“Aren't you going to make some snarky remark about me being a good and doting fiancé?” he smiled but stopped when Tendou just looked away.  
  
“I'm sorry. I ruined your shirt.”  
  
Semi sighed and gently ruffled Tendou's hair, who just closed his eyes.  
“Don't worry about it. The maids can clean it later.”  
  
  
“I think the bleeding has stopped”, Tendou muttered after some time had passed.  
  
Carefully Semi took away his handkerchief and looked at his nose.  
  
“I'll be back in a second.”  
Semi left and quickly came back, a wet cloth in his hands.  
“Sit still.”  
  
Semi crouched down in front of Tendou and he didn't move when Semi reached out and put a hand on his cheek before gently wiped away the blood under his nose, his lips and his chin.  
  
“Now you don't look like you've just committed a murder anymore. Just lie down and rest a little.”  
  
Tendou lied down and he looked like he was hesitating before he sleepily muttered: “Stay with me,”  
  
“I'll stay with you.”  
  
Tendou smiled and closed his eyes, slowly drifting into sleep. Semi reached out to him and gently brushed his hair out of his face.  
  
“I'll stay with you as long as you want me to.”

 

–

  
  
The following day Tendou looked much better and he was already teasing Semi at breakfast. This time Semi let him go with it.  
  
“Is something wrong? You're so nice to me today,” Tendou asked him with a frown on his face. “Or are you getting sick?”  
  
“Neither, I just don't feel like it today.”  
  
Tendou pouted.  
“Boooooring. It's no fun if you don't react to it!”  
  
“So the way to shut you up is to ignore you? Nice to know.”  
  
Tendou blinked a little.  
“That's not what I wanted to say.”  
  
“But you did.”  
  
“I'll keep annoying you though. I can be very persistent.”  
  
“I know. Actually, I think I know that better than everyone else.”  
  
Tendou grinned at Semi and his heart skipped a beat.  
“But you know what? You're my favourite person to annoy.”  
  
“Unfortunately.”  
  
  
They ate quietly for a while until the curiosity finally took over.  
  
“Tendou?” his voice was serious and Tendou seemed to pick that tone up because he wasn't smiling when he asked him.  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“About that nosebleed. Do you get that often? I mean, the ones that make you get dizzy.”  
  
Tendou sighed and started to play with the rice in his bowl using his chopsticks.  
“From time to time. I get dizzy whenever those nosebleeds start on their own. For example, if you punched me and my nose started to bleed because of that, I wouldn't get dizzy. I don't know why though. But let me tell you, it's incredibly annoying, especially if it happens outside or in public.”  
  
“Did you tell a doctor about that?”  
  
“Of course. It was one of the first things my mother did after it happened for the first time, but the doctor doesn't know either.”  
  
“I see.”  
  
Tendou looked frustrated at this and kept playing with his food instead of eating it so Semi nudged him with his foot and smiled at him.  
  
“Well, now you got me to take care of you if that happens.”  
  
The surprised look on Tendou's face turned into a soft smile.  
“You sure make a good husband.”  
  
“Just to be clear: I'll still kick your ass at all the other times though.”  
  
“I didn't expect anything else from you.”  
  
  
After they finished their breakfast Tendou tugged at Semi's sleeve and dragged him outside.  
  
“Let's go for a walk in the garden. I have to show you something I found the other day!”  
  
Semi followed him, a little curious after he saw how excited Tendou was.  
He took Semi to the back of the garden.  
  
“You wanted to show me the apple tree?” Semi asked him with a raised eyebrow after Tendou stopped in front of it.  
  
“No, you idiot. I wanted to show you something that's on that apple tree.”  
  
Semi was confused but he followed Tendou when he started to climb the tree.  
  
“I feel like I'm a child again,” Semi muttered and Tendou grinned at him.  
  
“Shh, you have to be quiet.”  
  
He pointed at something Semi couldn't see so he moved a little closer, leaning over Tendou.  
  
  
It was a bird's nest with three small baby birds inside. Hungry as they were, they screamed for their parents to bring them something to eat.  
  
“Aren't they cute?” Tendou grinned at him and Semi, who was completely captivated by the birds, was surprised by the voice and the hot air at his ear. He yanked away from him and lost his balance because of the sudden movement. Startled he tried to hold on to something so that he wouldn't fall and he grabbed the nearest thing. Unfortunately the nearest thing had been Tendou so all he accomplished was that he didn't fall alone.  
  
Semi landed on the grass and Tendou on him.  
  
“Ouch.”  
  
Tendou sat up immediately and checked him for any visible injuries.  
“Are you okay?”  
  
“I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. What about you?”  
  
“I landed soft so I'm okay.”  
  
Suddenly Semi started to laugh.  
“You should have seen your face when you realized that you'd fall with me. That was priceless.”  
  
“Hey! Don't laugh, I was really concerned about my well-being for a moment, okay?”  
But he started to chuckle as soon as he had finished his sentence and short after he started to laugh with Semi.  
“You didn't look much better though.”  
  
Semi hid his face in his hands, laughing too hard at the sheer thought of them falling down a tree like baby birds who couldn't fly yet.  
“This was embarrassing,” he laughed and took his hands off his face, grinning at his fiancé.  
  
  
But the grin he had on his lips was wiped off when he looked into Tendou's eyes, dark and serious.  
  
“Semi?” Tendou's voice was rough and Semi's heart started to race when he heard it.  
  
“What.. is it?”  
  
“May I.. maybe.. call you Eita?”  
  
Semi felt how his cheeks started to burn at the sound of his name coming from Tendou's lips.  
“Only if I can call you Satori.”  
  
Tendou smiled a little nervously and Semi's breath hitched in his throat when his fiancé put his hand on his cheek.  
“E-Eita?”  
  
“What is it.... Satori?”  
  
“...may I kiss you?”  
  
Semi's mind went blank and he kept staring at Tendou's lips for so long that he almost forgot to answer him.  
“Please do,” he breathed.  
  
  
Tendou leaned down and Semi felt his fiancé's lips faintly brushing over his own before he captured them in a kiss. They parted only when they needed air to breathe. Semi touched his lips, not believing what just had happened so he needed a moment to calm down his racing heart.  
But when he opened his eyes and looked at Tendou, he just dragged him down to kiss him again.  
  
“Wait a second” Tendou muttered breathlessly and sat up before he pulled Semi onto his lap and Semi didn't lose a second to wrap his arms around Tendou's neck. They parted again and Semi leaned his forehead on his fiancé's shoulder and just breathed in an attempt to calm down.  
The smell was calming, but exciting. Strange,but familiar.   
  
Hated, and yet loved.

  
  
Semi let out a surprised yelp when Tendou let himself fall backwards onto the grass and clung to him even more than he was already doing before. He felt Tendou's hand in his hair, stroking it gently and he allowed himself to just relax. Tendou's hand went down to his back and Semi sighed satisfied when he felt his fiancé rubbing small circles on his back.  
  
“I think I could get used to this,” he muttered and started to smile when he heard Tendou chuckle.  
  
“You have all the time for that.”

 

–

  
  
Two weeks before the big ceremony the Tendous and Semi went to the mansion of Semi's parents and Semi didn't get far before he found himself in a tight embrace.  
  
“Midori!”  
  
“I missed you, brother.”  
  
“I missed you, too, little princess.”  
  
He leaned down to pick her up and spin her around. Her happy laughter made him feel all warm inside. She only let go of him when she spotted Tendou standing there and she hurried to run up to him. He picked her up and spun her around just like her brother did before.  
Semi kept smiling until he heard his mother's voice from the inside of the mansion.Tendou had heard it too and was on alert immediately. He let down Midori, who ran back into the mansion, and took his fiancé's hand.  
  
“Let's go together,” he whispered to him and Semi nodded, grateful for Tendou being there.  
They went inside and greeted Semi's father, before they turned to his mother. Her cold voice and the piercing gaze let him shudder, but he got through it and greeted her like he was supposed to.  
And if he squeezed Tendou's hand and felt him squeeze back, it only made him feel stronger.  
  
  
The closer the day of their marriage came, the more excited and nervous everyone became, including the two grooms.  
And the night before the wedding was the worst.Semi couldn't sleep at all. He tossed and turned but no matter how hard he tried or how tired he was, he just couldn't fall asleep. Tendou was sleeping like a log by his side but Semi didn't want to wake him up. He had sneaked into his room every night since they came here to be there for him in case his mother tried to do anything to him. Luckily they had been able to sleep through the nights without being bothered by anyone. With a sigh he just cuddled up to his fiancé and waited for the next morning.  
  
  
When the dawn came Tendou left Semi's room and just a few moments later a maid came in to wake him up. There was a lot to do for him before he would finally get married to Tendou in a few hours.  
  
But even those hours passed and soon it was only a matter of minutes until the ceremony would start. Semi was alone in his room and he was pacing up and down until he felt how his hands were shaking from him being nervous so he put them over his heart and tried to focus on his breathing to calm down.  
Distracted like this he didn't hear the door open and close again so he almost screamed in surprise when he turned around and suddenly saw his mother standing there.  
  
“Eita.”  
  
Her voice was cold and it took Semi all of his composure to not take a step back.  
He took a deep breath before he answered her.  
  
“Mother, is there something I can do for you?” His voice was steady and his mother seemed to be a little surprised by that. She seemed to have expected him to be shaky and afraid of her.  
  
But he was tired of it. He was tired of hiding from her, tired of reacting to her like she wanted it to.  
Tired of being afraid of her.  
  
  
“I'm just here to remind you. Don't fuck this up or you will regret it.”  
  
“I won't.”  
  
He looked straight into her eyes and she squinted at his words.  
  
“Good for you then.”  
  
She turned on her heels and left.  
Semi waited for a few seconds before he sat down, taking deep breaths to calm down.  
  
When he heard a knock at the door a few minutes later and someone told him that it was time for the ceremony, he was ready for it.

 

–

  
  
The ceremony itself happened so fast that it was over before Semi could even realize it.  
He remembered how he saw Tendou standing there, waiting for him with a smile on his face.  
Remembered how Tendou took his hand and didn't let go of it the entire ceremony.  
How he slipped the ring on Semi's finger before Semi did the same with Tendou's finger.  
They were announced husbands and a moment later Tendou was already kissing him, interlacing their fingers with a smile on his face. Semi kissed him back and he was sure that he was never happier than in this moment.  
  
  
Many people congratulated them at the celebration at the mansion. People he knew, people he didn't know, people he had never seen before. But he thanked them all, looking at his husband every now and then and he didn't let go of his hand the entire time.  
  
Laughter and happy chatter filled the mansion and Semi was happy to witness this, happy to be the reason for this good mood.  
At one point Tendou pulled him a little closer and put his arm around his waist. A normal gesture as it seemed, but in reality Tendou told Semi to look at his uncle, who had apparently one drink too much because he was flirting with a lamp again, much to the amusement of the other guests.   
  
  
But every party had an end eventually and at the end of the day Semi yawned tiredly while changing his clothes when suddenly two arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him close. Semi leaned back into the embrace and closed his eyes.  
  
“Hey Eita,” Tendou whispered.  
  
“What is it?” he whispered back.  
  
“There's something I have yet to tell you.”  
  
“Then tell me.”  
  
Tendou kept quiet for a while and Semi turned to him with a questioning look on his face. A nervous little smile appeared on Tendou's lips before he whispered to him:  
“I love you.”  
  
  
Semi stared at him, his entire face getting red, before he buried his face into Tendou's shoulder.  
  
“I love you, too, you idiot.”  
  
Tendou giggled before he kissed Semi's temple.  
“I know you do. Let's go to bed. It's late already.”  
  
  
But they stood there for another ten minutes, just silently embracing and enjoying each other's presence.  


–

  
  
The newly wedded stood hand in hand in front of their new home. Semi took a deep breath.  
  
“Are you ready?” he asked his husband.  
  
“I'm ready whenever you are.”  
  
“Let's go then.”  
  
“Wait! I have a better idea.”  
  
Before Semi could say anything, Tendou swept him off of his feet, much to the surprise of him.  
  
“Wha- Satori, let me down!”  
  
“I have to carry you inside for the first time.”  
  
“This isn't even the first time we're here.”  
  
“But it's the first time we're here as husbands.”  
  
Tendou started to grin when Semi was at loss for words.  
  
“Stop grinning.”  
  
“But you know I'm right.”  
  
“Maybe you are but that doesn't change anything.”  
  
“Doesn't change what?”  
  
“That you're an idiot.”  
  
“That may be true, but I'm _your_ idiot now.”  
  
Semi wrapped his arms around Tendou's shoulder and hid his face to hide his happy smile.  
  
“Shut up already and carry me inside.”  
  
“As you wish, my dearest husband.”  


–

  
  
Tendou put him down in the bedroom, happily grinning at him.  
  
“Wait here, I have something for you. Let me get it quickly.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“It's my present for you. Just give me a minute, okay? Oh, and close your eyes.”  
  
Semi grumbled a little but closed his eyes.  
  
“Don't open them until I tell you to!”  
  
“Alright, alright! Fine.”  
  
Tendou left the room and left Semi waiting for him.

  
  
Not even a minute later he came back.  
  
“Open your hands.”  
  
Semi listened to him and did as he said.  
  
“There you go. You can open your eyes.”  
  
In the same moment Tendou put something soft into his hands.  
Soft and warm and purring.  
Semi widely opened his eyes and stared at the small kitten in his hands.  
  
“You-you.. what.. I-I'm-” he stuttered, too captivated by the little animal in his hands.  
He looked up at Tendou and back at the kitten.  
“I'm-”  
  
Tendou started to laugh.  
“Speechless? I knew you'd love her.”  
  
Semi put the kitten onto his lap and she curled up immediately.  
  
“I-I don't know what to say. I'd get up and kiss you for that but I have a cat in my lap.”  
  
“That's no problem I guess.”  
  
Tendou leaned down and Semi cupped his face before he kissed him.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
Tendou smiled back at him.  
  
“What do you want to call her?”  
  
“Do you think 'Mina' would suit her?”  
  
The little cat meowed quietly and Tendou started to laugh.  
  
“I think she likes it.”  
  
“So Mina it is.”  
  
  
Later they were sitting on the couch, cuddling. Mina was sleeping in Semi's lap and it didn't seem like she ever wanted to leave that place again. Semi's head was lying on Tendou's chest and he slowly started to doze off, as well when he suddenly jumped up when he felt a hand on his waist.  
  
“I'm sorry. Did I wake you up, Sleeping Beauty?”  
  
Semi yawned before he frowned at his husband.  
“Stop calling me like that already.”  
  
“And what will you do if don't?” Tendou grinned at him.  
  
“Something you won't like.”  
  
“And what could that be?”  
  
“Letting you sleep on the couch, for example.”  
  
“We both know you wouldn't do that. At least not for that reason, _Sleeping Beauty_.”  
  
“I'd kick you but right now I have a cat on my lap.”  
  
“Aww, you're too cute.”  
  
“Yeah, and you're an asshole.”  
  
“Me? An asshole? You break my heart,” Tendou theatrically grabbed his heart.  
  
“I can break your heart even more. What do you think, Mina? How about we go on an adventure together tomorrow and let Satori at home, hmm?”  
  
Mina purred as an answer and stretched a little.  
  
“So mean! She's just like you. I hoped you were on my side, Mina,” Tendou pouted.  
  
“Don't worry,” Semi said as he pressed a small kiss to his husband's cheek, “we still need sandwiches and cat food so you could get us what we need for our amazing adventure.”  
  
“Who is the asshole now?” Tendou muttered but he was smiling as he did so.  
  
“Definitely you,” Semi laughed and playfully pushed him away.  
  
  
  
Some things would never change. But maybe that was for the better.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Radio Static](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5819890) by [via_coffeecup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/via_coffeecup/pseuds/via_coffeecup)




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